Continuous yarn treating method

ABSTRACT

An advancing sheet-like yarn group consisting of a number of parallel yarns is spirally wound by a holding yarn stronger than the parallel yarn and is subjected to treatment. The holding yarn is undone from the treated and advancing sheet-like yarn group while being wound up to a bobbin rotating about its axis and moving around the sheet-like yarn group.

United States Patent [1 1 Kodama 1 CONTINUOUS YARN TREATING METHOD [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Fuji Spinning Co., Ltd., Tokyo,

Japan [22] Filed: Feb. 29, 1972 [2]] Appl. No.: 230,436

Mikio Kodama, Fujimagari, Japan [52] US. Cl. 57/164, 8/1512, 28/1 CL, 28/28, 57/3, 68/22 R [51] Int. Cl. D06c 1/00, B65h 51/00 [58] Field of Search... 57/3, 155, 160, 164,167, 31, 57/32, 162, 34 R; 28/28, 1 CL, 40, 76 T;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,536,019 10/1970 Honda et a1. 28/40 X Feb. 26, 1974 Bolles 28/1 CL Bolles 156/440 X Primary Examiner.lohn Petrakes Assistant Examiner-Charles Gorenstein Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Eliot S. Gerber ABSTRACT An advancing sheet-like yarn group consisting of a number of parallel yarns is spirally wound by a holding yarn stronger than the parallel yarn and is subjected to treatment. The holding yarn is undone from the treated and advancing sheet-like yarn group while being wound up to a bobbin rotating about its axis and moving around the sheet-like yarn group.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB26 I974 sum 3 or 3 l CONTINUOUS YARN TREATING METHOD This invention relates to a yarn treating method in which a number of parallel yarns arranged like a sheet are continuously advanced with their relative positions keeping to original state and without any trouble and entanglement between yarns even if one or a few of the yarns are snapped while in processing.

To take an example for cotton mercerization, in place of the inefficient troublesome method for treating yarns in hanks, recently, it has been proposed to continuously treat the yarnsby arranging them to a sheet-like configuration. Such continuous treating method has also been adapted to many resin and dyeing treatments for yarns. In such a method, it is important to eliminate any entanglement between continuous parallel yarns and any trouble which may occur by entanglement of a snapped yarn to a roller in a processing apparatus. To this end, it has ever been proposed to insert a lease yarn alternately above and below the parallel yarns for holding the latter or to apply chain stitch of a protective yarn to the parallel yarns by a sewing machine. However, these methods have required rela- -tively complicated apparatus and troublesome operations for inserting or applying and removing the protective yarn to and from the parallel yarn group, thus leaving a problem to be solved as to treating efficiency.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a continuous yarn treating method in which a number of parallel yarns arranged like a sheet are held to their relative positions before they are subjected to liquid treatment such as mercerization and are unheld after liquid treatment.

The aforementioned and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. la, FIG. lb, FIG. 1c, FIG. 1d, and FIG. 1e are plane views respectively showing sheet-like yarn groups held in accordance with the present invention, in which a holding yarn in FIG. 1d is applied with a tension;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing an apparatus employed for the method of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a device for winding the holding yarn around the yarn groups; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a device for undoing the holding yarn and protective yarns.

Referring to FIG. la to FIG. la, a number of continuous parallel yarns 1 arranged in a horizontal plane, to say other words, a sheet-like yarn group 2 is continuously and spirally wound by a holding yarn 3 at a predetermined pitch 4.

The holding yarn 3 is selected from such yarns which are stronger than the parallel yarns 1 and have properties to extend and contract along with the extension and contraction of the parallel yarns 1 without any looseness or tightness to the yarn group while in processing. The reason to select the holding yarn 3 from those stronger than the parallel yarn I is to snap off the parallel yarn by the holding yarn when the parallel yarn 1 has been cut off while in processing and is entangling to a roller and, thereby, to prevent harmful entangling of the yarn l to the roller.

The holding yarn 3 may be a single one as shown in FIG. la or may be two as shown in FIG. lb and FIG.

1c. The two holding yams 3, 3 may be wound around the sheet-like yarn group 2 in the same direction with a fixed interval as shown in FIG. lb, or, alternately, in the opposite directions as crossed in FIG. 1a. The holding yarn I wound around the sheet-like yarn group at small pitch 4 will have an excellent yarn holding effect, while it will become trouble to remove the holding yarn from the parallel yarns 1.

Though the looseness of the holding yarn 3 is reduced to minimum when the yarn is wound under relatively high tension, it may disorder the ear portions of the sheet-like yarn group 2. In FIG. 1d, reference numeral 5 denotes the disordered yarn portions where the holding yarn 3 changes its direction. In such sheet-like yam group shown in FIG. 1a, many disadvantages will be experienced in that the yarns are not homogeneously treated in liquid, that the yams at the ear portions will entangle with each other, and that the operation for separating the yarn group, having been treated, into each individual yarn is troublesome, thereby causing degrading of the treated yarns and lowering of the efficiency. Accordingly, it is preferable to provide protective yarn members 6, 6' at both sides of the sheetlike yarn group 2 in parallel thereto and to spirally wind the holding yarn 3 around both the protective yarn members 6, 6' and the sheet-like yarn group 2. The protective yarn member 6 may be a tape-like yarn group consisting of a plurality of thicker yarns than the parallel yarns to be treated, or may be twisted yarns, rope, tape or the like. If the tape-like protective yarns are employed, it is preferable to juxtapose them to the sheet-like yarn group with a suitable space therebetween for apparently distinguishing protective yarns from the sheet-like yarn group.

Now, the method of the present invention shall be described with reference to an embodiment shown in FIG. 2 in which the cotton yarns are treated by mercerization.

Initially, a number of yarns are pulled out from a known yarn supply means such as creel stand (not shown) and arranged in parallel with each other to form a sheet-like yarn group 2. On both sides of the sheet-like yarn group 2, tape-like protective yarn groups 6, 6' each consisting of a plurality of cotton yarns thicker than the yarn in the sheet-like yarn group are juxtaposed and advanced to the direction shown by an arrow. The sheet-like yarn group 2 and the protective yarn groups 6, 6' are wound by a holding yarn 3 by a winding device 10 provided in front of a mangle 21 of a processing apparatus 20. After the sheet-like yarn group 2 has been treated and advanced through another mangle 22 to the direction shown by an arrow, the holding yarn 3 is removed from the yarn groups 2 and 6, 6' by an undoing device 30.

The winding device 10 for the holding yarn 3 comprises endless chains 11, ll surrounding the sheet-like yarn group 2 and the protective yarn groups 6, 6, and a bobbin support 12 fixed to the chains, said bobbin support 12 having a bobbin 13 at its end and winding up the holding yarn 3. The endless chains 11 and 11' are rotated to the direction shown by an arrow as sprocket wheels 15, 15 are driven through a motor 18, a speed change gear 17, and a pulley 16. Thus, the bobbin 13 goes around the advancing sheet-like yarn group 2 and protective yarn groups 6, 6'. The holding yarn 3 taken out through a guide 14 fixed to the bobbin support 12 is spirally wound around the sheet-like yarn group 2 and the protective yarn groups 6, 6, thereby obtaining a sheet-like yarn group S wound as shown in FIG. 1e. The guide 14 also serves as a tension device for the holding yarn 3.

Though the protective yarn groups 6, 6' are juxtaposed on both sides of the sheet-like yarn group 2 as shown in FIG. 1e, they may be omitted. Furthermore, two winding devices such as shown in FIG. 3 may be provided at intervals and are operated to go around the yarn group 2 in the same direction to obtain the yarn group wound as shown in FIG. lb or are operated in the opposite directions to obtain the yarn group wound as shown in FIG. 10.

Since the yarn group 2 is thus wound by the holding yarn 3, when it continuously advances into circulating and showering liquid within vessels in the processing apparatus, the sheet-like yarn group S is treated like a woven fabric without any entangling of each yarn. Even if a yarn in the group is cut off while in processing and entangled to a roller, it will be snapped off by the holding yarn 3. In the preferable yarn group wound as shown in FIG. 1e, although the protective yarn groups 6, 6 are forced inside of the yarn group 2 at the turning portions of the holding yarn 3 when snapping the entangled yarn, the sheet-like yarn group 2 will not be disordered.

The undoing device for the holding yarn 3 comprises, as shown in FIG. 4, endless chains 31, 31', 31 surrounding, like those in the winding device 10, the sheet-like yarn group 2 and the protective yarn groups 6, 6'. The endless chains 31, 31' are fitted around two sprockets 33, 33 and 33', 33' secured to rotary shafts 32, 32' which are driven to a fixed direction by a motor 34 through speed change gears 35 and 36. Between the two endless chains 31, 31 fitted is a framed body 41 supporting a driving shaft 38 for a wind-up bobbin 37 and a traverse means 40 for a traverse guide 39.

The driving shaft 38 of the wind-up bobbin 37 is elongated and has at its end opposite to the wind-up bobbin 37 a sprocket 43 fitted to the endless chain 31". The endless chain 31" is fitted around sprockets 42, 42' which are loosely secured to the shafts 32, 32 and is driven by a motor 47. Preferably, the motor 47 is a torque motor following to the desirable tension of the holding yarn 3 and, thereby, winding up the holding yarn without loosening and snapping due to overtension.

The traverse means 40 is constructed so as to rotate a screw shaft 44 threaded through the traverse guide 39 to the clockwise and counterclockwise directions. To this end, as a means for changing rotary direction of the screw shaft 44, limit switches 45, 45 are provided at both traverse ends of the traverse guide 39 to be contactable with the latter. The limit switches 45, 45 are associated with electromagnetic clutch 46, 46 to form an electric circuit. The traverse means 40 is so constructed that, when the rotary power of the driving shaft 38 is transmitted to the side of the magnetic clutch 46 through a gear train, the screw shaft 44 is rotated to the direction at which the traverse guide 39 is advanced toward the limit switch 45. When the traverse guide 39 contacts to the limit switch 45, the electromagnetic clutches 46, 46' are changed over through the electric circuit, and the reverse rotary power is transmitted to the screw shaft 44 through a gear at the side of the electromagnetic clutch 46'. Other known traverse means may be adapted for the purpose mentioned above.

Thus, rotating around the sheet-like yarn group, the wind-up bobbin 37 and the traverse guide 39 undo the holding yarn 3, which is then wound up to the beam 37 through the traverse guide 39.

The sheet-like yarn group free from the holding yarn 3 further advances through a pair of nip rollers 48. The tape-like protective yarn groups 6, 6' also advance through the nip rollers 48 and are wound up by winding means 50 at both sides below the sheet-like yarn group. Driving means 52 for a beam 51 in the winding means 50 is preferably a torque motor or may be a passive rotary system in which the beam 51 is placed above a positively rotating drum to be rotated by friction therebetween.

In the embodiment mentioned above, cotton yarns are employed for the protective yarn groups 6, 6 in consideration of marketing after treatment and, therefor, they are wound up to the beam 51. However, endless belts, tapes, rope and the like may be used in place of the protective yarn group. In this case, these endless members having advanced through the processing apparatus 20 may be returned to the supply side after undoing the protective yarn 3.

I claim:

1. A method for continuously treating yarns comprising the steps of:

advancing a number of continuous parallel yarns arranged to form a sheet-like yarn group;

spirally winding a continuous holding yarn around said advancing sheet-like yarn group to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said holding yarn being stronger than said parallel yarns;

subjecting said wound sheet-like yarn group to fluid treatment; and

undoing said holding yarn from said treated and advancing sheetlike yarn group while said holding yarn is wound up to a bobbin rotating about its axis and moving around said sheet-like yarn group.

2. A method for continuously treating yarns comprising the steps of:

advancing a number of continuous parallel yarns arranged to form a sheet-like yarn group; spirally winding two continuous holding yarns around said advancing sheet-like yarn group to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative position, said holding yarns being stronger than said parallel yarns and being wound in the same direction;

subjecting said wound sheet-like yarn group to fluid treatment; and

undoing said holding yarns from said treated and advancing sheet-like yarn group while said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving around said sheet-like yarn group.

' 3. A method for treating yarns as in claim 2 wherein said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving around said sheet-like yarn group in the same direction.

4. A method for continuously treating yarns comprising the steps of:

advancing a number of continuous parallel yarns arranged to form a sheet-like yarn group and protective yarn members juxtaposed on both sides of said sheet-like yarn group;

spirally winding a continuous holding yarn around said advancing sheet-like yarn group and said protective yarn members to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said holding yarn being stronger than said parallel yarns;

subjecting said wound sheet-like yarn group to fluid treatment;

undoing said holding yarn from said treated and advancing sheet-like yarn group while said holding yarn is wound up to a bobbin rotating about its axis and moving around said sheet-like yarn group; and

winding up said protective yarn members to beams.

5. A method for continuously treating yarns as in claim 4 wherein two continuous holding yarns are spirally wound around said advancing sheet-like yarn group and said protective yarn members to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said two holding yarns being stronger than said parallel yarns and being wound in the same direction, and wherein, said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving around said sheet-like yarn group in the same direction. 6. A method for continuously treating yarns as in claim 4 wherein:

two continuous holding yarns are spirally wound around said advancing sheet-like yarn group and said protective yarn members to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said holding yarns being stronger than said parallel yarns and being wound in the opposite directions; and wherein said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving around said sheet-like yarn group in the opposite directions. 7. A system for continuously treating yarns comprising the steps of:

advancing a number of continuous parallel yarns arranged to form a sheet-like yarn group and protective yarn members juxtaposed on both sides of said sheet-like yarn group; spirally winding a continuous holding yarn around said advancing sheet-like yarn group and said protective yarn members to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said holding yarn being stronger than said parallel yarns; subjecting said wound sheet-like yarn group to fluid treatment;

removing said protective yarn members from said sheet-like yarn group to repeatedly return and juxtapose with said sheet-like yarn group to be treated. 8. A system for continuously treating yarns as in claim 7 wherein:

two continuous holding yarns are spirally wound around said advancing sheet-like yarn group and said protective yarn members to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said holding yarns being stronger than said parallel yarns and being wound in the same direction; and wherein said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving around said sheet-like yarn group in the same direction. 9. A method for continuously treating yarns as in claim 7 wherein:

two continuous holding yarns are spirally wound around said advancing sheet-like yarn group and said protective yarn members to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said holding yarns being stronger than said parallel yarns and being wound in the opposite directions; and wherein said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving around said sheet-like yarn group in the opposite directions. 10. A method for continuously treating yarns comprising the steps of:

advancing a number of continuous parallel yarns arranged to form a sheet-like yarn group; spirally winding two continuous holding yarns around said advancing sheet-like yarn group to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative position, said holding yarns being stronger than said parallel yarns and being wound in the opposite directions;

in the opposite directions. 

1. A method for continuously treating yarns comprising the steps of: advancing a number of continuous parallel yarns arranged to form a sheet-like yarn group; spirally winding a continuous holding yarn around said advancing sheet-like yarn group to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said holding yarn being stronger than said parallel yarns; subjecting said wound sheet-like yarn group to fluid treatment; and undoing said holding yarn from said treated and advancing sheetlike yarn group while said holding yarn is wound up to a bobbin rotating about its axis and moving around said sheet-like yarn group.
 2. A method for continuously treating yarns comprising the steps of: advancing a number of continuous parallel yarns arranged to form a sheet-like yarn group; spirally winding two continuous holding yarns around said advancing sheet-like yarn group to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative position, said holding yarns being stronger than said parallel yarns and being wound in the same direction; subjecting said wound sheet-like yarn group to fluid treatment; and undoing said holding yarns from said treated and advancing sheet-like yarn group while said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving around said sheet-like yarn group.
 3. A method for treating yarns as in claim 2 wherein said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving around said sheet-like yarn group in the same direction.
 4. A method for continuously treating yarns comprising the steps of: advancing a number of continuous parallel yarns arranged to form a sheet-like yarn group and protective yarn members juxtaposed on both sides of said sheet-like yarn group; spirally winding a continuous holding yarn around said advancing sheet-like yarn group and said protective yarn members to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said holding yarn being stronger than said parallel yarns; subjecting said wound sheet-like yarn group to fluid treatment; undoing said holding yarn from said treated and advancing sheet-like yarn group while said holding yarn is wound up to a bobbin rotating about its axis and moving around said sheet-like yarn group; and winding up said protective yarn members to beams.
 5. A method for continuously treating yarns as in claim 4 wherein two continuous holding yarns are spirally wound around said advancing sheet-like yarn group and said protective yarn members to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said two holding yarns being stronger than said parallel yarns and being wound in the same direction, and wherein, said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving around said sheet-like yarn group in the same direction.
 6. A method for continuously treating yarns as in claim 4 wherein: two continuous holding yarns are spirally wound around said advancing sheet-like yarn group and said protective yarn members to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said holding yarns being stronger than said parallel yarns and being wound in the opposite directions; and wherein said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving aRound said sheet-like yarn group in the opposite directions.
 7. A system for continuously treating yarns comprising the steps of: advancing a number of continuous parallel yarns arranged to form a sheet-like yarn group and protective yarn members juxtaposed on both sides of said sheet-like yarn group; spirally winding a continuous holding yarn around said advancing sheet-like yarn group and said protective yarn members to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said holding yarn being stronger than said parallel yarns; subjecting said wound sheet-like yarn group to fluid treatment; undoing said holding yarn from said treated and advancing sheet-like yarn group while said holding yarn is wound up to a bobbin rotating about its axis and moving around said sheet-like yarn group; and removing said protective yarn members from said sheet-like yarn group to repeatedly return and juxtapose with said sheet-like yarn group to be treated.
 8. A system for continuously treating yarns as in claim 7 wherein: two continuous holding yarns are spirally wound around said advancing sheet-like yarn group and said protective yarn members to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said holding yarns being stronger than said parallel yarns and being wound in the same direction; and wherein said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving around said sheet-like yarn group in the same direction.
 9. A method for continuously treating yarns as in claim 7 wherein: two continuous holding yarns are spirally wound around said advancing sheet-like yarn group and said protective yarn members to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative positions, said holding yarns being stronger than said parallel yarns and being wound in the opposite directions; and wherein said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving around said sheet-like yarn group in the opposite directions.
 10. A method for continuously treating yarns comprising the steps of: advancing a number of continuous parallel yarns arranged to form a sheet-like yarn group; spirally winding two continuous holding yarns around said advancing sheet-like yarn group to hold said parallel yarns to predetermined relative position, said holding yarns being stronger than said parallel yarns and being wound in the opposite directions; subjecting said wound sheet-like yarn group to fluid treatment; and undoing said holding yarns from said treated and advancing sheet-like yarn group while said holding yarns are wound up to bobbins rotating about their axes and moving around said sheet-like yarn group in the opposite directions. 